OS for 1GHz 256MB RAM Computer?

[ZeratulsAvenger]

Well I just recently aquired a "broken" computer from a friend who got a new one for Christmas, and it has specs of a 1GHz Athlon processor, 256MB RAM, 30GB HD, and some Geforce 2, MSI motherboard.

The person I want to give the computer to currently has a ~500MHz computer I think so it should help and its free so why not? She has Windows 98, but I don't know if she has install discs or not. The OS I recieved with the computer was ME. I would love for this computer to be stable and just run well for someone who really doesnt know much about computers, but I dont want to spend much on it or make her spend much. I was thinking about Windows 2k, but I can only find 2k Pro or something, which I dont understand and it's more then I want to pay in most places I have seen it. I dont want to buy Windows XP for the fact that then I would want to upgrade the RAM, not to mention $100 bucks for XP. I don't want to use ME on the ocmputer, but at the moment my options are none other, unless I want to fork out 100 bucks. I just want her computer to run smooth and nice and not crap out. I'll try and coach her along a bit in the begining and try and get some habits down so that it can stay functional, but figure if she is gonna upgrade a lil bit, why not go a step further and insure she won't get screwed one year down the road with a bogged down, virus infested, unorganized computer.

Anyone have any ideas? I was thinkin 2k would be an upgrade, but I don't know where to get it that is reliable and cheap. Should I just teach her how to be kinder to the comp and hope ME doesnt fail on her? She doesn't have cable or DSL so all updates are through dialup, so I don't want to be giving her things with tons of updates all the time, although I will try and get down Spybot and Adaware+firefox. An anti-virus maybe... I know I should but I just doubt it would be used and updated.

Well, thanks for any ideas on what to do with ME, or 2k.

[digitalfreedom64]

With those specs would probly be best to go with win 2K. ME is too buggy, Xp you would want to upgrade the ram, 256 md would last no time at all. win 98 would be good, but you said you don't know if she has the install disks plus win 2k is more secure.

[ZeratulsAvenger]

Where can I buy 2k for under 80 bucks though? No where I can find at least Is ME a complete waste of time and effort?

[Spaz06]

Windows 2000 is the way to go! There is no way I would put ME on one of my systems. Windows 2000 is a little over $80 at the link below.

http://www.store.yahoo.com/glob2000/frshmiwi20pr.html

[digitalfreedom64]

Originally Posted by ZeratulsAvenger Where can I buy 2k for under 80 bucks though? No where I can find at least Is ME a complete waste of time and effort?

ME is very unstable, I learned the hard wat, bought a system with winme. Half my software I had at the time wouldn't work, my printer was incompatible, as well as my scanner and no upgraded drivers were in sight. I was more than pleased to get windows XP when it came out after the horror I went through with ME. Not to mention I have never seen an OS that crashed as much as ME.

[rcvalencia9]

ME is the worst Windows OS ever. Don't even think about installing it. Windows 2000 is the best OS for you. Update it with the latest service pack, I think its SP4. I think there are about 4 different types of WIN2K. Choose the one for stanalone PCs. Not the Advance Server.

[glc]

I'd question the authenticity of Win2000 from that vendor. The going price for a genuine Win2K Pro OEM CD with proper keycode and COA is about 140 bucks.

[sataraid0]

Hey, just too reinforce the opinion that me is bad, it is really probably the worst os microsoft ever came out with. So up grade to win2k, I have it on one of my computers and it is pretty stable and does not take as much room as xp, especially after all the updates are installed.

Also, don't try an upgrade from win98, just format the entire hdd and install win2k pro. You will be glad you did.

Hope this helps.......Regards................Sterling

[glc]

I've successfully upgraded several systems from 98/98SE to 2000 in place. If the system is clean (viruses, spyware, temp files, etc.) and you read the upgrade report - and take care of the issues it tells you, the upgrade will go very well. It's best to uninstall everything that runs at startup (such as antivirus, cd packet writing software, multifunction printers, all USB devices, etc.), and reinstall after the upgrade is complete. The upgrade will NOT carry over your startup items. Make sure you have a Win2000 driver for your NIC or modem already downloaded so you can get on line and get what else you need after the upgrade is done.

Do not attempt to upgrade ME to 2K - this can get very ugly.

[rjfvillarosa]

I honestly do not understand all the negative comments about ME, I have ME running on two of my machines and it runs perfect, not a glitch not a worry it has never caused me the slightest concern.

[diver203_98]

Same here with me for Windows ME. I have that on my Gateway that I got in June 2001 and aside from a few glitches that required a reinstall of ME a few times I haven't had any compatability problems with anything. Printers, drivers or programs. But on my "Build" I have XP Pro. BUT I must agree. Windows 2000 or XP would be the way to go at this time.

[kram 2.0]

I have a Intel Celeron 1.2Ghz with 256MB SDRAM and WinXP SP1 worked fine - it just became so laggy after uploading the infamous Service Pack 2.

kram

[glc]

Originally Posted by rjfvillarosa I honestly do not understand all the negative comments about ME, I have ME running on two of my machines and it runs perfect, not a glitch not a worry it has never caused me the slightest concern.

You want all my customers that run ME? You are welcome to them.

[raftero]

i would use ME, it is not as stable as xp but if you use reasonable precautions it is pretty stable, i would not buy one, but if it is available (for the use you seem to have) i would not hesitate to use it. i had it on an HP for a while and it would lock up sometime but all that was required was a re-start. i would definately format and use a clean install though.

[digitalfreedom64]

The ME system I had was a HP, which was preceeded by a 98 system which was also a HP. Everything was going fine until I got the ME system, half of my software didn't work. Some of it if i even tried to install it I got the dreaded blue screen. Now keep in mind that these programs weren't even 6 months old at the time there shouldn't have been problems such as this. I kept that system regularly scanned fir virii, spyware and adware, still it was constantly crashing. I checked all the hardware, nothing wrong. So that leads me to go along with many other people saying that Windows ME was the worst microsoft OS ever. Besides all the people I know that had ME had nothing but problems from day one.

[Spaz06]

Originally Posted by glc You want all my customers that run ME? You are welcome to them.

So, we have a windows me debate now! *L*

The choice is yours!

Purchase windows 2000, install and be happy.

Purchase windows xp, try running with 256mb, may be fine as long as as she doesn't try to do any multi tasking.

Go the cheap route and install windows me, but be willing to provide tech support when she crashes the system every other day. Its hit or miss with windows me. I never had any luck with it myself.

[digitalfreedom64]

Originally Posted by Spaz06 So, we have a windows me debate now! *L* The choice is yours! Purchase windows 2000, install and be happy. Purchase windows xp, try running with 256mb, may be fine as long as as she doesn't try to do any multi tasking. Go the cheap route and install windows me, but be willing to provide tech support when she crashes the system every other day. Its hit or miss with windows me. I never had any luck with it myself.

Exactly the point i'v ebeen trying to get across. Most of the software I had, mostly games, when I got ME, wouldn't work, the worked fine with 98. I was more than happy to buy WinXP when it came out, and all of my games and other software that were rendered useless by WinME began working again and in my opinion even better than they did on 98. I also had other software that weren't games that also failed to work on ME. Windows ME is pathetic.

[glc]

I have a customer with factory installed ME on a Dell - I spent 2 hours trying to install a HP all in one printer/fax/scanner/copier, tried every troubleshooting procedure I could find, and it just refused to install. The software install won't even complete, it errors out. I tried the CD and I tried the latest ME driver download from HP, and ran every cleaning tool HP offers. They now have a very nice standalone fax machine and copier (with a useless scanner and printer) - and a perfectly good Deskjet 970 to print with - at least that installed fine.

[rjfvillarosa]

Originally Posted by glc You want all my customers that run ME? You are welcome to them.

I will be quite happy to take them off your hands, BUT will they brunt the cost of me travelling from Puerto Rico to visit them??
I guess it's just choice and also I don't play resource intensive games, which to me is what most of the moans (not all) are with ME.

[kram 2.0]

Would it be right to say WinME Is a "beta" version to Windows XP? Because it certainly ain't stable . Upgrading from Windows 98SE to WinME was a untinctured nightmere - a VAIO laptop with about 1Ghz and 128MB SDRAM and WinME after Win98SE taught me how much I truly like Mac OSX.

kram

[digitalfreedom64]

Honestly I didn't see that much different between 98 and ME other than the fact that 98 was way more stable than ME.

[glc]

ME is 98's inherent instability with XP's bloat compounding it. I think it was Microsoft's way of testing system restore, wizards, and system file protection. Their only mistake was basing it on 98's 16 bit kernel.

So, we have a windows me debate now!

Why not? As long as we don't go slamming ME in the ME forum, it should be fair game. We all know a NT-based OS is far superior to any 9x-based OS and this is the NT forum. I went from 95 right to NT4 as soon as I had enough horsepower to run NT and haven't looked back.

[HAL9000]

G... send me your customers that run ME... I've never had an issue with it from the time that it was released to the release of XP. I even have customers running it in a business environment. While I agree that it's not as good of an OS as an NT based system, I think it gets a lot of bad rap that isn't deserved. I say you have ME, load it up and see how it runs on that system before worrying about jumping to a different OS. The only time I have ever really had problems with Win ME was on VIA chipset based systems. It didn't matter if it were an Intel or an AMD, it was very flakey at best.

[glc]

How do you explain that Dell with a genuine Intel motherboard? It's even a Dimension 4100 with the 815E board, probably the best Dell desktop ever built after the old BX dinosaurs.

Before you start telling me malware and background crap, it's as squeaky clean as I can get it, and I spent a lot of time on it. It wasn't that bad when I first looked at it.

[ZeratulsAvenger]

Wow, lot more responces then I am used too. Well, I am going to ask her today if she has the Windows 98 disk. Does anyone know if back in the day(4 years ago?) companies like Dell and HP still did the thing where you needed a certain key to install on the machine? Like the CD for a Dell's XP I know you cannot use on a homebuilt for XP(assuming you remove it from the dell for legal purposes), but would I be able to use the old Windows 98 key and install W98 from a CD i have in my house, and then remove it from her old computer since she won't be using it? Well my CD is W98 SE, so I hope that's what she has... Maybe she has 95 though . Perhaps I will just spend $50 and get 98SE, since I am not spending 100+ on XP or 2k.

[HAL9000]

Ship it on up G

[rcvalencia9]

A well patched OS no matter how bad it was will be more stable than it ever was. When I bought my Compaq notebook with WIN XP Home, I have problems starting up(No Service Packs installed). Downloaded patches from windows update and everything went fine.

[raftero]

far be it from me to disagree with glc on anything, but i would try ME in this case, since it's available free, if you are not satisfied then by all means switch when you can to 2000.

[autotran]

I personally would use WinXP. I am sending this right now from a 267 MHz with 160MB ram running WinXP Pro with SP2. It doesn't seem to run much worse than the Win98SE that was installed on it. WinXP just seems to be more reliable than Win98SE and you can get it for about $93.00 (XP Home). Just my 2¢. Dave

[mc2phat]

directdeals.com has XP Home w/SP1A for 85.00 shipped. Order the free SP2 CD from Microsoft. I'll agree with and say go for Windows ME, don't spend money if you don't need to. Give it a shot and spend the money only if it cheeses out on you.